


Spaces Between Us

by 20EuroNosebleed



Category: Bandom, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-27
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-23 14:05:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6118690
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/20EuroNosebleed/pseuds/20EuroNosebleed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikey is the sun. Pete orbits.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

It starts when Pete turns around and sees the pretty blonde boy in the back.

First day of sophomore year. If Pete's being honest, he wasn't sure what he was doing in Honor's English, because, well, aren't honors classes for the smart students? But Pete sits in his seat, two rows away from the front, and looks around for Patrick.

He doesn't see Patrick.

But he gets his first glance at him.

There's a tall lanky, kid who's sitting in the back corner of the classroom, with slouched shoulders and eyes downcast, mindlessly scribbling on a sheet of paper. Messy, blonde-brown hair and little white rimmed glasses. Knitted gray beanie and tight black jeans. Pursed, pink lips and a jawline so sharp it could probably cut cheese.

Pete stares for a good thirty seconds before the boy looks up. Pete turns around immediately, not quite sure what he's doing, but completely sure that he needs to see this boy again. Maybe sit closer to him.

Kiss him, maybe. If possible.

Pete wants to laugh at himself. He's been in this school for what, thirty minutes today? And already he's infatuated with some pretty boy who's hotter than the sun and probably twice as dangerous.

Ms. Ped starts the class, and Pete almost completely forgets about the boy.

Almost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

It takes Pete a week to work up the courage to sit next to the guy, just so he can learn his name.

Even when he does, Pete is unable to look at him. Like, at all.

As Pete's pulling out his stuff, he remembers what he learned from science yesterday; if you look directly at the sun, you will probably damage your eyes. Because the sun is so hot.

(So his science is a bit off, whatever. It's pretty much his explanation for being afraid to look directly at the guy, anyways.)

The class is uneventful, and after fifteen minutes, Pete abandons all focus on the teacher and redirects his energy on how to figure out this guy's name. He has one notebook, which just has WAY written on it. Maybe those are his initials. Maybe his name is Wayward.

Pete shudders, slightly. As gorgeous as this guy is, Patrick and Andy will definitely laugh if tells them he has a crush on a guy named "Wayward."

For the next hour, Pete tries to think of names that start with 'W'. Nothing good comes up. The bell rings, and Pete's about to call this guy "Mr. Sun," when he taps Pete on the shoulder and half-smiles.

"Mikey. Uh, I'm Mikey Way, In case you were wondering."

Pete gapes at him for a moment, before he remembers staring at people is not socially acceptable, and sorts himself the fuck out. He clears his throat and smiles. "Nice to meet you, man. I'm, uh. Pete. Pete Wentz."

Mikey smiles at him knowingly. "I know." Pete wants to ask what that means, but Mikey is already out the door and headed to his next class.

Even if Mikey stayed, Pete's pretty sure he wouldn't have the courage to ask him anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~

Pete gravitates towards Mikey. He doesn't mean to, but he's always been a sucker for brown eyes and half smiles that have secrets hidden behind them.

Patrick and Andy warn him about Mikey Way. He tries to listen to them, about the rumors that talk about Mikey's older brother and how Mikey is a "bit weird", but why listen to rumors when you can listen to Mikey Way talk, like actually talk, instead?

They sit together, huddled in the back of the classroom, whispering. Ms. Ped doesn't notice. Or maybe she does notice, but doesn't care. Pete couldn't care less.

Mikey whispers about bass guitars and coffee and lame parties he's been to. As September moves along, he tells Pete about his older brother and the music he plays and his weird-ass dreams.

Pete listens to everything he says.

When Mikey gives him his phone number ("Because we're like, friends, I guess.") Pete ends up listening to Mikey until three am.

Nothing is better than Mikey's voice in his ear.

(Pete reckons that holding Mikey's hand might feel a bit nicer, though.)

~~~~~~~~~~~

"If you want, you can invite Mikey to sit with us." Patrick says one day. It's the first day of October, and they're walking home together. "Like, he seems nice enough."

Patrick doesn't mention how Mikey sits in the back of every class they share, and he doesn't bring up the fact that Mikey doesn't acknowledge Pete's existence in the hallways. Only in English class, where Patrick isn't there to see.

Pete kicks a rock and it rolls onto the street. "I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Because... Because we're not like that."

He doesn't look at Patrick, but he knows his friend is frowning. "Then what are you guys like?"

Pete doesn't know how to say it, but there's something in the way that Mikey jerks back every time they're fingers brush, or how he looks away from Pete after they share a smile. Something about Mikey's behavior around Pete says, we're just class friends. Or possibly, Don't get attached.

Or more likely, This doesn't mean anything.

Pete knows he's made a bit of a mistake. It's not just how Pete likes Mikey, or how he notices him first in a huge crowd, hears him laughing with his friends in the cafeteria, talks to him every night until he falls asleep, but it's that Pete orbits; he circles. He'll never be able to touch Mikey. Ever.

"We're friends." Pete says to Patrick. "Like, parallel lines and shit. Something about always being side by side."

Patrick rolls his eyes. "I really do wonder why you're in Honors English."

Pete forces a laugh. "Same."

~~~~~~~~~~

Mikey invites Pete to go over to his house after school.

Pete feels his heart stop.

"I want to introduce you to my brother." Mikey says, and Pete's pretty sure he has a million reasons he should say no; because he and Mikey are just friends, because Mikey never looks at Pete for too long, because he has a giant crush on Mikey like oh my god.

Instead, Pete says, "Sure," and smiles at Mikey. Mikey smiles back, and then turns away.

"Uh, I'll just be waiting by the front of the school."

"Sure, man."

"See ya."

Patrick looks suspicious, and Andy a little nervous, but when Pete is unable to contain his joy they give him permission to go. (Pete still doesn't know when Patrick became his dad.) Brendon helps too, telling them that Pete is "too much of a twelve year old girl to actually make a move," which causes Pete to shove him into Ryan Ross, which makes Brendon stammer for a good minute.

And he calls me a teenage girl. Pete thinks, watching Ryan blush as Brendon attempts to make conversation. It's funny. Kind of cute, too.

Speaking of cute, Mikey Way has popped into Pete's mind again.

Maybe Pete is actually a twelve year old girl.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It takes about thirty minutes at Mikey's house before Pete spills something on Mikey Way's new gray t-shirt.

"I'm sorry, man, I'm so sorry, let me buy you a new shirt-" Pete dabs at Mikey's bedroom carpet, and thank god, most of the stain comes out.

"It's okay, dude. Seriously. Here, move out of the way, you're in front of the closet." Mikey replies, which causes Pete to scramble out of the way.

Pete's about to ask how much the shirt costs when he stops, unable to move, because Mikey pulled off his shirt two feet away from Pete, and is currently standing shirtless in front of the closet.

Pete's breath hitches in his throat. Mikey turns to look at him, and Pete should turn away, he should have stepped back or turned around or a n y t h i n g, because now Mikey Way is staring at Pete with a smirk on his face and a raised eyebrow.

"Like what you see?" He asks, tossing his shirt onto the bed. Pete's face is growing warmer and warmer, but keeps his feet firmly planted to the ground. God forbid, if he moves, he knows he launch himself at Mikey and just kiss him senseless.

"I think..." Pete starts, the swallows the lump in his throat. "I think your brother doesn't want to see you shirtless."

Mikey's smirk fades. "Y-yeah." He turns around and pulls out a random t-shirt from the closet, and pulls it on. "Gee's probably downstairs, let's go."

Pete nods, and offers a small smile. Because he doesn't want Mikey to be upset. Because Mikey is the prettiest when he smiles.

Mikey smiles back and tells him a joke, to which Pete laughs. But Pete just remembers the same thing, again and again.

Mikey is the sun. Pete orbits.

~~~~~~~~~~

Gerard Way is a nice guy with a nice boyfriend, who-surprise!-is Frank Iero, in their grade, at school.

They exchange pleasantries and play video games. Pete's head is far from the conversation.

He wonders why he didn't kiss Mikey in the bedroom.

Maybe Mikey would have kissed him back.

...

Probably not, though.

~~~~~~~~~~

God did not make Mikey Way so Pete could stare at him. Mikey Way is not meant for Pete to love, he was not meant to be kissed or held by Pete, no matter how much Pete wants to love and adore and admire Mikey Way.

But Pete thinks that if there is a God up there, he must find Pete incredibly amusing; a silly school boy who dances around a smart, funny guy, the two never going to kiss, never going to touch.

It's been three weeks since Pete saw Mikey shirtless, and even though they spend more and more time together, Pete never reaches to touch Mikey, never even tries to hit on him. If he tried, he would get rejected. When he got rejected, his heart would be ripped out of his chest and completely shattered.

Pete would rather not think about it.

He still does, though.

~~~~~~~~~~

There's three days before winter break. Ms. Ped tells them to write her a poem over the three weeks of school they don't get, and they have to read it to the class.

She gives them time to do it in class, but Pete figures he'll just write it last minute. Either that or he'll just find something old from his poetry blog and turn that in. Sure. Why not?

"Doing anything over the break?" Pete asks. Mikey seems to have the same approach towards the assignment as Pete does; by approach, Pete means he's not doing it. Like at all. "We can like, hang out Friday if you want." If not, I'll just cry to Patrick about you. Andy will probably be there too. And Joe.

"Sure." Mikey thinks about it for a moment. "Actually, Sarah with the long-last-name is throwing a party on that day."

"Think you'll go?" Pete asks, trying to hide his disappointment.

MIkey shrugs. "Will you? Technically, everyone is invited. Gee's going with Frank."

"Maybe. I can't imagine why Gerard would hang out with people younger than him, though."

"Lindsey Ballato is going. And Gee's other friends."

"Lindsey Ballato? I'm definitely going then." Pete jokes, and Mikey rolls his eyes and smiles at Pete.

"Sweet little dude." Mikey says affectionately. Pete feels himself blush.

~~~~~~~~~~

Mikey wasn't lying about everyone being invited.

Sarah with the long-last-name was friends with Brendon, and so Ryan Ross arrived. Ryan Ross arrived, so most of the band kids followed. And since band kids involved Patrick and Joe, Andy showed up too.

It takes about thirty seconds for Patrick to shove Pete into Mikey.

It takes about a minute for Mikey to start clinging on to Pete.

It takes about a minute and thirty seconds for Patrick to vanish into the crowd.

Patrick Stump is a slut, Pete thinks unhappily. Still, it's Mikey Way. He's only like, half-complaining.

"Pe-eete...." Mikey slurs. "You're a funny man, my sweet little dude. Hilarious."

"Uh, yeah man." Mikey has one arm slung around Pete's shoulders, and he's leaning on Pete so much its a miracle they both haven't fallen. Pete's not sure what the proper procedure for dealing with a drunk person is, but he's pretty sure he should get them away from alcohol. Because Mikey is fucking wasted.

Pete clears his throat, and guides Mikey towards the back porch. "Let's go out there, yeah?"

"Sarah has a guest room... wanna go there..." Mikey starts leading them upstairs, and because Pete is Pete and hopelessly in love with Mikey Way, he lets the drunk boy lead them there.

This night is going to end very, very badly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The night ends with Mikey lying on his stomach, on the bed, with a trash can next to him. Pete kind of pats his back, because even though Mikey has been saying weird shit for the past hour, it'd be very wrong to leave him until he sleeps.

"Sweet little dude..." Mikey murmurs. "Mm..."

"I'm here, man." Pete's not even sure if Mikey knows what he's saying. "You want water? Advil?"

Mikey stinks of alcohol and his glasses are crooked and Pete wants to help him, Pete wants to hold him and listen to him murmur and mumble until he falls asleep, but there are spaces between them, spaces that Pete is afraid of disturbing.

Mikey shifts again, and manages to form a coherent sentence. "Want you to kiss me."

Okay, maybe it's a coherent sentence, but not a coherent thought. "Mikey?"

"Want you to kiss me, Pete. Or kiss you. Don't care."

Pete hesitates, then shakes his head, even though Mikey can't see him. "Mikey, I can't, you're-"

"C'mere."

Pete obeys. He walks in to Mikey and kneels down so they're faces are almost touching. Mikey traces his fingers over Pete's cheek, and Pete closes his eyes and tries to pretend that Mikey is sober.

He can't.

Pete pushes Mikey away. "Mikey." He says. His voice his hoarse, so he tries again, louder. "Mikey, I can't do this. You're drunk. When you're sober, maybe we can... maybe we can ki...." Pete can't even say the word kiss. He can barely believe it.

"D'you not love me, Pete?"

Mikey's drunk, Mikey's drunk, he doesn't mean any of this-

"Sweet little dude..."

Don't look at Mikey, turn away, Mikey doesn't mean it-

"Petey? Pete?"

Mikey is the sun. Mikey is the sun, not someone to meant to love Pete, he is the sun-

"I love you. Don't you love me?"

Pete stands up and stumbles for the door. "Mikey, I'll see you in a few days, okay? You're drunk. We'll just... we'll just forget, okay?"

Except he's never going to forget this, if he leaves Mikey looks so sad and tired, his white rimmed glasses crooked and dark brown eyes wet with tears.

Pete walks back towards the bed and kisses Mikey on his forehead, between his eyebrows. "Go to sleep, okay Mikes? Call me when you feel better."

Mikey doesn't reply, and Pete turns around and leaves.

It's probably for the best.

Pete's heart is still being torn apart.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Pete calls every other day for the first week of Winter Break.

Mikey doesn't answer any calls.

Pete's called Gerard to make sure Mikey isn't dead, and thankfully, Mikey still lives. However, Mikey is sulking in his room and refuses to come out.

Pete drops by the Way residence, but Mikey refuses to see him.

So on the second week of winter break, Pete gives up.

He hangs out with Andy and Joe and Patrick, and they don't bring up the party or Mikey or anything. He hangs out with Brendon and Ryan and even Gabe Saporta.

He does everything he can to avoid thinking about Mikey Way, so of course, he thinks about no one else.

There were spaces between him and Mikey, but now, there's a fucking chasm between them and a void in his heart. The night Mikey got drunk was worse than any sort of rejection ever. Pete wonders if he'll ever feel whole.

On the last day of Winter Break, Pete writes the poem for Ms. Ped's class. He titles it Bang the Doldrums, because fuck it, fuck everything, and fuck Ms. Ped and her shitty Honors English class.

He never belonged there anyways.

~~~~~~~~~~

When they get back to school, there's a rumor that Mikey is dating a girl called Alicia Simmons.

Pete ignores how it feels like his heart is still being shattered and sits where he sat on the first day of school, two rows away from the front seat, just so he doesn't have to look at Mikey.

It doesn't work. Mikey walks in late and avoids looking at Pete, and Pete doesn't care. Fuck Mikey. Trying to hit on him when he's drunk and immediately dates a pretty girl when she's sober. Mikey hovers in front of his desk for a moment, waiting for Pete to say something.

He doesn't.

Deflated, Mikey walks to the back of the classroom anyways. Pete wants to break down crying, but he doesn't, because Mikey is the fucking sun and people should know better than to fall in love with stars.

Especially when those stars can damage you beyond repair.

~~~~~~~


	2. 2

Pete stares at his schedule, waiting at the front of his school for Patrick to show up.

Classmates, old and new, rush past him. Some dawdle around like toddlers, other's run for their class like this is the most important thing in their life. Pete remembers running for his classes too, when he was fifteen; but he's been to this high school for three years now and knows better than to think high school is start-all end all.

After all, there has to be something better than this.

Pete just has to find it.

Patrick shows up, still wearing both backpack straps, just like all the freshmen. He looks exactly like all the new students, actually, in his little button up and being roughly the same height as them. Pete can't deny that Patrick is adorable. Short and small and unintentionally hilarious. Just to piss him off, Pete leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

Patrick mutters a quick, "Fuck you," but doesn't step back or blush like he did when they were fifteen. The reaction is a bit disappointing, but Pete grins at his best friend anyways and with that, they start senior year.

Pete pretends not to notice the blonde boy by the oak tree, who wears skintight jeans and an expression that breaks Pete's heart, and hardens it all the same.

~~~~~~~~~~

"How the fuck are you still in honor's English?" Brendon demands, and Pete just smirks at him.

"Sorry, Brendon. Maybe if you were smarter, you'd get in too."

Bredon tsks. "Pete, you misunderstand. I'm not jealous, I'm asking because you have rocks for brains. Scientists will give me robotic wings and recreate dinosaurs before you write an essay worth shit."

Pete tries not to laugh, but laughs anyways. "Like you aren't fucking slow."

"I have no clue what you're talking about."

"Ryan Ross." Pete says, and Brendon has no reply; he just turns cherry read and mortified. Pete just laughs harder.

The truth is, Brendon could very easily come up with a retort. And it would shut down anything Pete could say.

But some things are off limits.

Ryan walks over to them with Joe and Andy. Before Pete can say anything, Ryan smiles shyly and Brendon swoops over and kisses him, like they're outside in the pouring rain, not in some crappy high school hall with teenagers everywhere.

"Where's Patrick?" Andy asks, easily ignoring the couple romantically making out next to him. Pete will never fail to amazed at Andy's ability to ignore romantic advances.

"He went to the music room early." Pete says. "Big surprise, I know."

There's mindless chatter about how their summer was, Pete goes to his first class home ec.

~~~~~~~~~

Pete's rethinking the whole "there must be more to high school," because if this is how his high school life is, everything is better than high school.

Mikey Way sits in the back of the classroom, staring at Pete with wide brown eyes. It's too late for Pete to pretend he didn't see them, so he just turns away and walks towards the other end of the classroom and sits down, and starts drawing all over his arms. Ms. Jackson walks in and announces she has a seating chart.

Five minutes later, Pete finds himself sitting next to Mikey. In the back of the classroom.

Apparently his life is a romantic comedy, except none of this is funny and Pete's heart is being torn to pieces. Pete can't imagine how this could worse, until Mikey sort of stares at him, and then gives a little wave.

"I'm Mikey Way," He says quietly, and if anyone had been watching them, they would be convinced the two boys didn't know each other.

"Pete Wentz," Pete replies.

"I know." Mikey gives a little smile, and it he hadn't broken Pete's heart before, it would have instantly shattered then and there.

~~~~~~~~~

"This is what I like to call..." Joe pauses for dramatic effect, waving his pizza around the table. "Fate."

"And this is what I like to call, alphabetical order." Pete replies, determined not to let Trohman ruin his lunch. "It's just for a semester, right? I mean, Ms. Jackson can't keep us there forever. Some kids going to be a troublemaker, and I'll just ask her to trade with me."

Andy and Patrick exchange glances. Patrick puts an arm on Pete's shoulder. "You know Ms. Jackson keeps the same seats the entire year, right?"

Pete tries to hide his disappointment. "Then I'll be the troublemaker."

Andy shakes his head. "Ms. Ped told her about your poetry. She's convinced you're a good student."

Andy was sweet and probably the coolest creature on the face of the planet, and all the teachers liked him, which led to all the teachers telling him the weirdest shit. If this was Andy Hurley's way of telling Pete that he was screwed, Pete would have to accept this.

Joe pointed at Pete with his pizza. "Fate, I tell you. Fate."

Pete's about to reply with a smartass comment, but Brendon is walking towards them and he's holding hands with Ryan, so Pete redirects his focus into bothering the couple.

~~~~~~~~~

It took a week, but Pete convinced himself that sitting with Mikey wouldn't be so bad.

Sure, it would suck, sitting next to someone who thought about for the past two years, and it would also be bad to sit next to someone who literally abandoned him after some shitty confession, but maybe sitting next to Mikey would remind Pete why he was an asshole. Mikey barely smiled. He copies homework. He's generally a weird person.

Sitting with Mikey couldn't get any worse than it was. And even though that was shitty consolation, it was consolation nonetheless, and that made Pete feel a little better.

~~~~~~~~~

On monday, the second week of school, Pete walks into Home Ec prepared to face Mikey Way when he sees the baby robots on the countertop.

You've got to be kidding me. Some of the girls coo over the dolls, but most of the guys bury their head into their hands, groaning.

Mikey's already sitting at the desk, slumped over a sheet of paper, scribbling madly. Pete stares at him, wondering if Mikey actually noticed the baby dolls at all. Maybe Mikey doesn't notice anything. That would explain why Mikey didn't notice the two years that Pete wasted, pining for Mikey like a Romeo pined for Julliet.

So Pete's a little bitter. Could you blame him? Maybe. Maybe not.

Pete doesn't say anything, though. He just sits down next to Mikey, trying his best ignoring him. He does a good job on it, too.

Until Ms. Jackson walks in and announces the partners.

~~~~~~~~~

Mikey looks super awkward holding the robot baby in his hands. Pete chuckles lightly, and turns to the worksheet in front of him.

"The first question asks who the parents are." Pete says. His pencil taps against the paper rhythmically, a random song playing in the back of his head.

Mikey raises an eyebrow. "Didn't think you needed help with that question."

The light banter takes Pete off guard. He blinks, then rolls his eyes. "I'll just put Mikey and Pete Wentz, then." It makes his heart hurt.

"Wait." Mikey says, putting the baby onto his lap. "Why do I have to take your name?"

"Because Pete Way sounds stupid." Pete says. Yes, that's a weak argument. No, he hasn't thought about this before. No. Not at all. Don't ask Patrick.

Mikey looks slightly offended. "Way is a great last name."

"Yeah, you've got me. Way-t a minute, no you don't." Pete scribbles down Mikey and Pete Wentz, ignoring the pain in his chest thats starting to grow. Maybe he has heart cancer.

"We have to name our child now- wait. Did you just put a pun in my name?"

"No, of course not." Pete smiles as sweetly as he can, then points at Name. "Apparently our child is a female. Can we name her Ebony Dementia?" He's only half joking.

Mikey shakes his head. "What if they don't identify with that when they're older?"

Pete frowns for a moment. "You're right." This is a dilemma. He doesn't want his and Mikey's (fake) child to have an identity crisis. "We'll just have to chose a gender-neutral name."

"Names don't have genders."

"I know, stupid. Harrowing-Beloved?"

"That's shit. Taylor-Avery?"

"Boring. Acimonious-Love."

"You've got to be kidding me." Mikey says. He rubs his temples, then says, "You like music, right? Let's name our child something musical."

"Sure." Pete says, his heart skipping a beat at the fact that Mikey remembers something about him, and that Mikey said our, as in our child.

Pete scribbles down the first word he can think of, and Mikey adds to them. Symphony-Mozart Lyric Treble Bell Wentz is written onto their sheet, and Pete's energy is drained from the effort it takes to not fall apart or cry.

The rest of the worksheet is easy as fuck. They fly through it, putting names for godfather and emergency babysitter. Pete isn't even sure this worksheet is real. Maybe this is all some massive joke.

If this is a ruse, then whoever plotted it must love watching Pete in pain.

~~~~~~~~

On Friday afternoon, Pete waits for Mikey outside the school. Patrick is there too, telling Pete things like just call me if you want to leave, and Andy and I will pick you up whenever.

Pete reassures Patrick that no, he won't be dying and reminds his friend that he'll be okay, he's just spending the night at Mikey's house.

Alone.

(Gerard will be there, but he'll be with Frank, so it's pretty much like he's not there.)

Pete knows that Patrick is still worried, because when Mikey comes out, Patrick quickly kisses him on the cheek, whispers, "Be happy, okay?" before he runs off to catch the bus.

Mikey stares at Pete, holding Symphony-Mozart Lyric Treble Bell Wentz in his arms. Pete smiles at him, and Mikey only gives a tight smile back.

Did I do something wrong? Pete thinks, but they get into Pete's car, and drive to Mikey's house in silence.

There has to be something better than high school, because if high school is the best it gets, Pete is screwed.

~~~~~~

When they make it to the Way residence, Mikey throws everything onto his stairway and Pete follows in pursuit, carrying they're fake baby daughter with him.

This isn't the first time Pete's been here; no Pete can remember the first time, with incident with the shirt, and all the times after that. But this is the first time in two years.

It almost feels like returning to a second home.

The baby is quiet, so that forces Mikey and Pete to hold an actual conversation. They're first attempts fail easily, almost miserably, and Pete has to wonder where the banter from when they were naming Symphony-Mozart Lyric Treble Bell Wentz came from.

Eventually, Mikey cuts off their third awkward silence with a question. "Do you remember us sitting together in English?"

Did I ever forget? "Uh, yeah man. When I had black hair and wore eyeliner. And, uh, when you dated Alicia Simmons?"

Clearly, this wasn't the answer that Mikey was looking for. But the air feels a bit lighter, a bit more relaxed, because now they can acknowledge that they've known each other before Home Ec.

To be fair, Pete knows that he and Mikey have never been ex boyfriends or whatever. Mikey was just the guy who Pete never got over. He never meant to break Pete's heart. He's just a guy.

Still, Pete thinks it's unfairly cruel when Mikey smirks and says, "Funny how we're husbands now. Right, babe?"

"Right." Pete croaks. "Mon cherie."

~~~~~~~~~

The baby cries three times. That's it. One during dinner (it wanted to eat), once whilst Mikey was showering (it needed to change), and once, at two am, forcing Pete and Mikey awake.

It takes an hour and a half to calm to robot baby down, and this includes rocking it, Mikey singing a lullaby, and Pete putting Bach on from his iPod. Finally, finally, when Symphony-Mozart Lyric Treble Bell Wentz falls asleep, Mikey sits next to Pete on the couch, nursing a beer.

"You shouldn't drink around Symphony-Mozart." Pete says, except he's considering taking the one that Mikey offered him. That's how fucked he currently feels.

"Our baby will be okay. If they're anything like you, I'm sure they'll be perfectly fine, babe." Mikey replies. He's not drunk, or tipsy, but he avoids looking at Pete.

Pete's glad. Every time Mikey calls him babe or makes a joke about how they're married, he wants to cry. And the more tired he gets, the worse he feels.

After winter break, Pete asked Gabe Saporta why he drank. Gabe told him it was to feel something. But Pete doesn't need to alcohol to feel anything; Mikey gives him everything he has. Mikey is everything he ever wants and needs and will be.

And it terrifies Pete to think that no one will ever compare to Mikey, that he'll never

love again.

There has to be something better than this. There has to be something better than high school, than being devastatingly infatuated with a boy who breaks your heart and thinks you won't remember, but Pete is 18 and tired and he's not sure if he can see anything past this.

"Mikey." He says quietly. Mikey stirs beside him, not exactly answering, but not stopping him either. "Mikey, why did you get drunk at Sarah's party?"

Two years ago. Pete's asking him to remember something from two years ago that Mikey was likely to forget. But Mikey answers anyways.

"I wanted to feel nothing." The words are hollow and empty.

"Why?"

"You don't want to know." Mikey says, but Pete turns and grips his arms. He's too tired to be bullshitted and he's waited long enough, hasn't he?

"Two years." Pete whispers. "That's how long I've wondered."

The silence between them lasts too long, and Mikey turns to face Pete. Pete can see the outline of his face, even in the dark.

"You and Patrick." Mikey says. He sounds so dead, so unhappy. "You loved- love. Love him."

Well, Pete's confused. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"You kiss. On the cheek. You're never apart. I didn't think... I didn't think I compete with Patrick. He always has your attention."

Pete wants to laugh. "The kissing? it's just a thing that we do."

"Right, in a totally no-homo way."

"No, like..." Pete struggles to explain. It's so stupid. "It pisses Patrick off so much, when I kiss him on the cheek. It's so funny. He used get all weird about it. We're just bros, man. Why did you want to forget that?"

Mikey rubs his face with his hands. The silence lasts ten, twenty seconds before he pulls hands away and says quietly, very quietly, "I liked you."

There goes Pete's world.

And his common sense.

The words barely register in his brain before he leaps across the couch and presses his lips onto Mikey's. Mikey tastes like alcohol and he has the faint taste of mint, and Pete can't imagine anything better, anything sweeter than how Mikey puts his hands on Pete's hips and guides him closer, how he gasps and practically whimpers when Pete pulls away for air.

How underwhelming. They're first kiss is on Mikey's couch, at 3:40 am, with a robot baby next to them. They're first kiss is after two years of emotional heartbreak and angst and no communication. And here they are-making out like they've been dating for years.

Pete finally pulls back. Mikey's lips seem to chase for a bit, but Pete places both hands on his face and stares at him.

"Mon chérie," Pete gasps. "Vous etes mon beau soleil." You are my beautiful sun.

Mikey puts his head in the crook of Pete's neck and lets him wrap his arms around him. "You're everything," He murmurs, and Pete falls apart in the best way possible.

~~~~~~~~~

A week later, Pete is outside the school, waiting for someone special.

Patrick smiles at him, walking past to go sing in the music classroom. Pete lets him go, looking forward to how ecstatic he'll be when he tells Pete the teacher put him in the national singing competition (Andy told Pete; Pete almost cried for Patrick. Almost.)

Everyone runs past him. More people seem relaxed, but some run for their class like this is the most important thing in their life. Pete laughs; he knows better than to think high school is start-all end all.

After all, there has to be something better than this.

Pete has found it.

A lanky, tall blonde boy walks over to Pete, smiling at him. Pete doesn't waste any time; he takes two steps forward and kisses him, tasting mint and vanilla. It's a sweet taste, if not a bit unusual.

Pete knows it tastes better than high school angst.

"I love you," Mikey whispers. Pete just laughs and shakes his head.

Then he kisses him again.

**Author's Note:**

> so i wrote this a while ago but hey people like it so here we are. 
> 
> away from wattpad.
> 
> its nice.


End file.
